COLUMBIA COUNTY, FL –
A little over two weeks ago on December 8, Governor
Scott's Lake Shore Hospital Authority Board, relying on
the approved Authority policy, told Authority Manager
Jack Berry to keep the Authority open on the Fridays
after Christmas and New Year's. A request by Hosp Auth
Manager Berry to close the Authority on Friday, December
26, and Friday January 2 was denied by the Authority
Board. On Friday, December 19, an undated, unsigned sign
hanging from the front door of the Authority said the
Authority was closed on December 26.

Over the years, the Lake Shore Hospital Authority has
claimed that it follows the policies of Columbia County.
In October, Columbia County's HR Director, Lisa Roberts,
asked the County 5 to change the County designated
holiday of Christmas Eve to the day after Christmas for
this year, as Christmas falls on Thursday. Ms. Roberts
made the request "in order to provide employees an
extended Christmas holiday weekend."

On October 16, The 5 approved the change giving the
County's employees and the residents time to adjust
their schedules and prepare for a four day weekend.

Manager Berry: He does things differently

This composite of the Authority calendar doesn't show
that the Authority is closed anytime for Christmas. This
snapshot is as of the 23d.

On December 8, 2014, two weeks before the Christmas
holidays were to begin, Manager Berry addressed the
Authority Board:

As we know Christmas is on Thursday this year.
December 26th. The personnel policy gives employees
off on the 24th and the 25th, which will be
Wednesday and Thursday. Uh, last year, I
believe we were open the 26th and nobody came in
this buildin’ on the 26th except our employees. It
would be awful nice of the board if you would let
our employees be off that day. It’s up to the board.
And the same situation on January the 1st and 2d.
Most everybody’s doing somethin’ on those days.
January 1st is a holiday and that’s on Thursday and
the 2d is on Friday. If you’ll leave it like it is
that's fine with me or if you wanna change, that’s
[I] wanna bring it to the attention of the board.

New Board member, Janet Creel asked, "Is there any
reason or an emergency that would arise that they would
have to be here? (silence) I make a motion to have
Thursday and Friday off. (more silence)

Chairwoman Lory Chancy asked, "Do I hear a second?"

(more silence)

Board member Steven Douglas said, "I’ll second it for
discussion. They already have Wednesday and Thursday –
right? They are just asking for a third day?"

Mr. Douglas followed up, "Ok. Well – just Christmas.
They already have Wednesday and Thursday off. They are
asking for Friday – a third day. And for New
Years, you already have the one day. You’re asking for a
second day?

Manager Berry answered, "Right."

Mr. Douglas followed up, "Thursday and Friday?"

Mr. Berry told the Board he is not asking it for time
off, but advising it of the situation.

Mr. Douglas asked if the County and the City are
coming "back to work on Friday?"

Manager Berry said he didn't know.

Mr. Douglas responded, "I think we need to stay open.
I think those days are good enough for me if you want to
make opinion to reduce staff on that Friday after
Christmas or the day after New Year's that's on you. I
think we need to keep it the way it is."

Ms. Creel asked, "Do you need a full staff to do it?"

Manager Berry answered, "No. We could alternate one
of em’ on one weekend and one on the other – would be
fine I think. I think they’d be willin’ to do that."

The Authority's web page is over a month behind or
more.The Board members appear oblivious.
Click to enlarge

Board member Tim Murphy volunteered, "That’s how we
do it."

Manager Berry followed up, "As long as we got
somebody in here."

The Board spoke among themselves, sometimes barely
audible.

Chairwoman Chancy tells the board, "There’s a motion
on the floor."

Board member Marc Vann said, "It’s rescinded." The
rest was unintelligible. The motion was for discussion.
There was nothing to rescind.

Ms. Creel adds, "I’m fine with that."

Chairwoman Chancy said, "OK." After a pregnant pause,
Ms. Chancy asked, "Are there any other comments or
suggestions?"

There were none.

The Authority Minutes:
Just wrong

The Authority minutes state the following:
"...decision made that LSHA will operate on reduced
staff for holidays. All in favor. Motion carried." The
minutes are labeled draft and were prepared on December
10, one working day after the Authority Board meeting.
The Authority records its meetings.

On December 23, Sandra Buck-Camp told the Observer,
"I was sitting in the second row. I wrote in my notes,
'motion rescinded.'"

The County; the City; Courts

Lake City and Columbia County are both open on
Wednesday, Christmas Eve and closed Thursday and Friday.
The day after New Year's it is back to business as
usual.

On July 8, Chief Judge Greg Parker of the Third
Judicial Circuit, based on an order of the Florida
Supreme Court, chose as a discretionary holiday the day
after Christmas, Friday, December 26. On Friday, January
2, 2015, the Third Circuit, which includes the Public
Defender's Office and the State's Attorney Office, is
back to work.

Epilogue

It is clear that the Governor's Board did not intend
for Manager Berry to close down the Authority on
December 26, or January 2. Recently, the Authority staff
received $1,000 bonuses for working. Manager Berry did
not participate in that money give-away.

As Authority Manager, Mr. Berry is entitled to the
same holiday pay as any other employee. Should he also
close the Authority on January 2d, as well as December
26, the cost to the taxpayers will be $838.46.

Authority Manager Berry did not explain why he waited
until the last minute to deal with the Holiday closings.
None of the Board members asked for an explanation.